From staff reports
Bobby Parnell (East Rowan) was the winning pitcher for the New York Mets on Friday night in a 7-3 victory against Pittsburgh. It was the first win in the majors for Parnell, who entered a 2-2 game in the eighth inning.
Parnell retired all three batters he faced, including both LaRoche brothers. He got Adam LaRoche on a foul popup, then struck out Andy LaRoche and struggling Brandon Moss.
The Mets struck for five runs in the bottom of the eighth, three on a homer by Carlos Delgado. Parnell was lifted for pinch-hitter Gary Sheffield during the rally and was replaced by J.J. Putz. Putz allowed one run in the ninth to finish a 7-3 Mets victory.
Parnell’s win appears to be the first registered by a Rowan native in the majors since West Rowan’s Barry Moore logged the last of his 26 big league wins as a Cleveland Indian in 1970. Moore’s best season was 9-8 with the Washington Senators in 1969. He pitched in 140 big league games from 1965-70 and started 99 times.
Parnell appears to be the first Rowan native to win a National League game since Granite Quarry’s Jay Ritchie logged a victory for the Cincinnati Reds in 1968. Ritchie was 8-13 in his big league career, appearing in 167 games from 1964-68.
n Stallions win state title
Cabarrus-Rowan won the baseball state championship for homeschoolers with a 9-7 victory against Wake County in Kannapolis on Saturday.
Benji Jackson hit a three-run homer and earned a save. The winning pitcher was Stephen Shue.
Josh Tossas had three hits, while Jackson, Shue, Christian Hicks, Bobby Zimmerman and David Bancroft had two hits apiece.
n Semi-pro football
Former North Rowan standouts Jarrett Wishon and Marcus Lawing are back on the field as members of the Charlotte Cobras of the National Public Safety Football League.
NPSFL teams are made up of policemen, firemen and EMS personnel. The league is full contact and non-profit. All proceeds go to charity.
Wishon, employed by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, is a former Shrine Bowl offensive lineman who played at Western Carolina. He’s now a svelte 205-pound outside linebacker.
Lawing, who played tight end and defensive end at about 190 pounds for the Cavaliers, now is a monster DE at 285. Lawing, MVP of the 2000 Sam Moir Christmas Classic for his work on the basketball court, is employed by the Salisbury Police Department.
The Cobras took a 2-1 record into Saturday’s home game against the Orlando Guardians. The Cobras beat Atlanta and Cleveland and lost to Philadelphia.
“Our name is the Charlotte Cobras, but we represent all of North Carolina,” Wishon said.
n College softball
Maryland’s Devon Williams (West Rowan) was 1-for-2, beating out an infield hit in a 3-0 loss to Virginia Tech in the first round of the ACC tournament on Friday.
n Charlotte’s Whitney Williams (Davie) had two hits in a 3-0 A-10 tournament loss to St. Joseph’s.
n Prep baseball
Davie County (11-9) nipped R.J. Reynolds 2-1 on Friday and finished the CPC regular season with a 5-5 mark. Carson Herndon tripled and Alex Newman had two hits to back strong pitching by Shelton Howard.
n The CPC tournament will be a whirlwind, two-day affair.
Monday doubleheaders are scheduled at Davie’s Rich Park and West Forsyth. No. 4 Davie plays No. 5 R.J. Reynolds at Rich Park at 4:30 p.m. The winner then plays No. 1 Mount Tabor at 7. The championship game will be at Rich Park Tuesday at 7 p.m.
n The state playoffs start Friday. East Rowan, West Rowan and Carson are in. South Rowan and North Rowan are out. Salisbury’s fate will be decided by Monday’s CCC championship game against East Davidson.
n College baseball
South Carolina’s Whit Merrifield (Davie) had a monster game on Saturday as the Gamecocks overcame a 9-1 deficit to beat Tennessee 15-12.
Merrifield had a 6-3-5-4 boxscore, with two doubles and his 10th homer.
n Appalachian State’s Jerod Faggart (NW Cabarrus) hit a grand slam in a 19-4 victory against UNC Greensboro on Saturday.
n Minor leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators (16-13) fell 10-5 at Lake County on Saturday, hitting into four double plays and making three errors.
n Regional track
East Rowan’s boys scored 49 points and finished third in the 3A West Regional track meet held on Saturday at Mooresville. Mooresville won the regional title with 92 points. Asheville (65) was second.
East’s Daishion Barger won the 110 hurdles. He added a second in the 200 and a fourth in the 100.
East’s Nathan Robbins was second in the shot and third in the discus. Keith Leonard and Evan Webb finished 3-4 in the pole vault.
South Rowan’s B.J. Grant won the high jump to provide 10 of the Raiders’ 15 points.
n West Rowan had the best showing among Rowan girls teams, placing 10th with 22 points. Amber Holloway was second in the 100 hurdles, Desere Cross took third in the discus, and the 4×100 relay team was third.
East’s Kasee Hepler was third in the shot put. T.C. Roberson’s girls won the regional. They were followed by Northwest Cabarrus and Mooresville. See Scoreboard.